WeAreMovieGeeks.com attended the TCM Film Festival in Hollywood over the weekend and as usual, it did not disappoint! The theme of this year’s festival was GRAND ILLUSIONS: FANTASTIC WORLDS ON FILM and it was chock full of all the sci-fi, fantasy, and film-noir selections anyone could ask for!
The TCM Classic Film Festival opened April 24th with a 45th Anniversary screening of STAR WARS: THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK at the TCL Chinese Theater followed by a conversation with filmmaker George Lucas.
Here’s a wrap-up of what we saw over the weekend.
Superman The Movie (1978)
Guest: Michael DeLuca (WB)
First up was Superman the Movie, from 1978. Starring Christopher Reeve, Gene Hackman and Margot Kidder, this is long considered the penultimate Superman movie. And there have been a few since, but none compare with this masterpiece. In attendance to present the film was Michael DeLuca, Co-Chair and CEO of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, encompassing Warner Bros. Pictures, New Line Cinema, and Warner Bros. Pictures Animation. This Superman movie has been a long time favorite of De Luca’s, and he shared a story of being 13 yrs old when the movie was released and riding a subway from Brooklyn into Manhattan to see it. Fast-forward to this summer’s release of SUPERMAN, the next installment helmed by James Gunn, De Luca said that his main goal was to make sure this latest version kept a sentimental connection to the original.
One of the things he wanted to ensure was that the Fortress of Solitude looked the same as it did here, and that he wanted the film to have the same heart and not be just another superhero movie. During the discussion, he also talked about some of his favorite details of the 1978 version, such as the fact that new-comer Christopher Reeve was told he was too skinny, so he packed on muscle mass to fill out the famous red and blue suit. This fan-favorite at the festival was sold out and it’s not hard to see why.
Misery (1990)
Guests: Rob Reiner, Kathy Bates
One of the better Stephen King film adaptations, 1990’s horror/thriller MISERY held up surprisingly well. In attendance to speak after the film were director Rob Reiner and star Kathy Bates, who won a best actress Oscar for her portrayal of psycho nurse Annie Wilkes. One fun story they shared was that in the weeks leading up to 1990’s Academy Awards, Reiner told Bates to just have fun because she had no chance of winning anyway (She had some pretty stiff competition that year, including Meryl Streep, Angelica Huston and Joanne Woodward). He blamed it on the Academy not wanting to give awards to “this kind of movie,” meaning the horror genre, and he was the first to jump up when they said her name. Reiner also encouraged Bates when she had doubts about her performance. She would stay in character after filming out of fear she wouldn’t be able to “get it back” the next day and Reiner assured her she was a good enough actress to get it back when she needed to. When asked which of all the characters she has played is she most like, with no hesitation she said Annie Wilkes, which got a huge laugh, because, you know, psycho!
Mildred Pierce (1947)
Guest: Mario Cantone
When Joan Crawford won the best actress Oscar for her portrayal of Mildred Pierce, she famously accepted her Oscar in bed, as she was home with the “flu.” It was the perfect melodramatic stunt for an iconic melodramatic performance. And 78 years later, the TCM classic film audience were still glued to their seats. TCM Host Ben Mankiewicz welcomed co-host Mario Cantone to introduce the film and hilarity ensued. Cantone, a classic film lover himself, proceeded to conduct the introduction in his best Bette Davis impression – taking shots at her famous rival, Joan Crawford.
Mildred Pierce was somewhat of a comeback for Crawford. At the age of 42, the Hollywood studio system already considered her too old for the leading-lady roles, and for sure thought at this point in her career, an Academy Award was out of reach. Undeterred, Crawford threw herself into the role and when she was nominated, she vowed to not attend Hollywood’s biggest night, instead making them come to her. Legendary for sure.
Jaws (1975)
Guest: Lorraine Gary
This year marks the 50th anniversary of JAWS, the Steven Spielberg “shark movie” that started it all – famous for being regarded as the first “blockbuster,” and paving the way for all subsequent movies that broke box office records, hailed by critics and audiences alike. Was anyone brave enough to go back in the water in the summer of 1975? After Spielberg’s terrifying flick, we doubt it!
On hand to talk about her experience on the film was actress Lorraine Gary, who played police chief Martin Brody’s wife Ellen. She told great stories of filming on the New England island of Martha’s Vineyard in November and being asked to walk into the freezing ocean for a scene that was ultimately cut. She also remembered co-star Roy Scheider as being a little icy, as this was her first movie. Her past work had been on stage and minor tv roles. By 1975, she had been married to Universal Pictures president Sid Sheinberg for almost 20 years. Sheinberg was instrumental in nurturing Steven Spielberg’s career and putting JAWS into production at Universal. On one occasion, Scheider told her she had a big head while filming a close-up of the screen couple. Considered one of the favorite “movie moms” by fans, she said she is still often approached by fans about JAWS. And speaking of fans, there was no shortage of superfans at this screening. We spoke to two attendees that had with them original Quint and Matt Hooper action figures from 1975. Now that’s devotion! (Insiders were actually hoping Spielberg might make a surprise appearance, as he was just down the street at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood to present the AFI Lifetime Achievement Award to Francis Ford Coppola, but no such luck.)
Oklahoma! (1955)
Guest: Shaun Cassidy
It was 8:45 am on Sunday morning, and even at that hour, fans filled the 900+ seat theater for the Oscar-winning OKLAHOMA! In 1955, the film won two Oscars, including Best Scoring of a Musical (today known simply as Best Score). The film was adapted from the hit 1943 Broadway musical of the same name. Although the film was initially to have been shot on location in the titl13e state, the producers opted to shoot elsewhere, apparently because the oil wells would be a distraction for exterior scenes. Location shooting was done mostly in Nogales, Arizona.
This particular screening was nice throwback to the days gone by, with the overture playing before the movie started and there was a 10-minute intermission.
On hand to present the movie was former pop star/actor/producer Shaun Cassidy, son of star Shirley Jones. Jones, now age 91, was 19, when she was cast in OKLAHOMA! It was her first movie. She had long idolized her co-star Gordon MacRae, and their onscreen chemistry was so good, they were cast the following year together in CAROUSEL.
Sunset Boulevard (1950)
This classic from 1950 is always a fan favorite at film festivals, and at this years TCMFF, it was no different. The 900+ seat theater was completely full – some even wearing turbans as an homage to Gloria Swanson’s iconic character, fading silent movie star, Norma Desmond.
One of the really fun things about SUNSET BOULEVARD is that there were some real Hollywood icons in the movie playing themselves at the time, including Cecil B. DeMille, Buster Keaton and Hedda Hopper. In 1951, SUNSET BOULEVARD won three Oscars, for Screenplay, Score, and Art Direction. One of the lasting influences of this movie was the 1994 smash hit Broadway musical of the same name, and won a Tony for Glen Close in the lead role. A subsequent revival of the musical is currently playing on Broadway and stars Nicole Scherzinger as an even more psychotic Norma Desmond.
